Can you provide an overview of Lipigon's current position (October 2023)?

"After nearly a year as a clinical development company, we are currently working on replenishing our funds and heading towards Phase II clinical trials in the Lipisense^® project. The need for new treatments for patients with fat-related diseases remains significant, and our research field is as active as ever. Over the past year, the interest in us and our programs has increased significantly, thanks to the robust study results and positive data generated in ongoing clinical trials. We are confident that we are well-prepared to tackle new challenges and advance both Lipisense^® and our other programs."

What opportunities do you see for Lipigon in the short and long term?  

"Lipigon faces several opportunities, with the first one coming as early as the second quarter of this year when Phase I of our Lipisense^® program is completed. At that point, our results will be closely examined by interested companies. Over the next six months, we have a compelling array of developments related to Lipisense^® planned, including the completion of Phase I and the start of Phase II. Our strong market position opens up possibilities for acquisitions and out-licensing, but it is important to emphasize that our current fundraising process is crucial to carry out Phase II and create significant value for the Lipisense^® program in the future."

How do you view the challenges for Lipigon in drug development? 

"Drug development is always a high-risk industry with many uncertainties and rules that govern the game. However, what we know is that our Lipisense^® program is well-positioned to minimize risks. We have scientific support for the target protein and the disease domain, as well as drug technology that improves our chances compared to an average drug program. Moreover, our clinical development strategy has also been designed to further reduce risks."

What are the core strengths of Lipigon? 

"Lipigon has a strong knowledge platform in the field of fat-related diseases, built on over five decades of academic research. Additionally, the company has verified expertise through strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as AstraZeneca, HitGen, CombiGene, and Secarna. The company has also demonstrated its ability to make business deals. Lipigon has an experienced team of entrepreneurs, business developers, drug developers, and researchers who can bring together these strengths and lead the company to deliver on its goals in an innovative and efficient manner."

How will Lipigon evolve in the coming years?

"Lipigon will continue to focus on fat-related diseases and aims to become a world-leading research company in the field. To achieve this goal, we need a broader pipeline and more clinical development programs that can come from programs initiated by us or through acquisitions. We have already identified several programs that may be of interest to broaden our development program. A key factor for us will be to quickly drive our in-house programs from discovery and validation to safety studies and onward to clinical trials The validation phase in our models will play a crucial role even in acquired programs, even though some substances may already have advanced to clinical phases. The amplification of our clinical infrastructure will become indispensable as we endeavor to manage multiple clinical programs in varying developmental stages.”

What sets Lipigon apart from many smaller research companies and positions it for success?

"Lipigon distinguishes itself from many smaller research companies by virtue of its well-defined project portfolio comprising four distinct projects at various stages of development, each hinging on different target proteins and drug technologies. This increases our chances of success by having several avenues to explore. Many other companies with academic origins revolve around a primary discovery and project, which can heighten the risk of failure if that project encounters setbacks. In addition, we maximize our knowledge platform by continually initiating and developing new innovations. To keep our network and knowledge up to date, it is also important for us to participate in specialist conferences."

How do collaborative partners contribute to Lipigon's innovation process and risk mitigation in drug development?

"We are clear about where our expertise lies—in lipid research. However, we remain humble and aware of the fact that we do not have expertise in all aspects of drug development. To sustain our culture of innovation and effectively marry emerging drug technologies with our distinct ideas for disease treatment, we seek collaborative partners to complement our strengths. RNA drugs, gene therapy, and advanced development platforms demand a caliber of expertise that leading partners, such as CombiGene, AstraZeneca, Secarna, and HitGen, can provide. These collaborations expedite value-enhancing steps and minimize costs, allowing us to maximize our knowledge and mitigate risks across our projects."

Read more about Lipigon's projects:

P1 Lipisense
P2 Lipodystrophy
P3 Dyslipidemia
P4 CAP